


Finding Your Place

by distantspace



Category: Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers Animated (2007)
Genre: Alternative Universe - Mermech, Fluff, Kissing, M/M, MerMay, cliche ngl, very little angst, written to melt hearts and kick ass
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-24
Updated: 2019-05-24
Packaged: 2020-03-13 12:00:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,544
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18940501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/distantspace/pseuds/distantspace
Summary: Even exiled from his own city, Optimus can never seem to catch a break.





	Finding Your Place

**Author's Note:**

> its mermay yall!!! and im feeling the gay in this chilis tonight  
> i wrote this cause im procrastinating on my other story and for those of you familiar with my work, you know that im posting at 1am and will edit at some later time! my disclaimer to you is that i only exist to write the most cheesy shit you can imagine  
> this is a drabble that i might elaborate more on much later after im done working on other stuff
> 
> unbeta'ed

 

 

Midday sunlight filtered through the ocean waves, illuminating the textures and colors of the shallow sea. From the sandy bottom sprouted a tall dense forest of green cyberkelp, which naturally parted to allow an ornately colored mech safe passage through.

The currents were calm as Optimus swam fluidly against them. Drifting between patches of light and shadow, the blue and red mech lazily moved his tail up and down, reveling in the warmth that the penetrating light brought to his plating. The mech reached out to his sides with both of his webbed servos, caressing the marine foliage with his palms as he floated by. 

He smiled to himself as he heard the nearby clicks and chirps of a small pod of mecha-dolphins. Optimus spotted them in a large clearing of sea grass, playing with a blade of kelp looped around one of the mechanimal’s pectoral fins. Their playfulness and cheer caused the mech’s smile to grow wider as he continued on his way through the kelp forest. 

Feeling a lightness in his spark, Optimus gently rolled horizontally as he wove between the giant stalks of the forest. Then, he began humming a soft tune he learned from the fishermechs just the other day. 

Absentmindedly, he thought about the humble land mechs that frequented the area in their small vessels. They were quite friendly and never took more that they needed. They were also awfully thankful for the retrieval of lost equipment and always had a good tale to tell from far off lands that the small sea-bound mech couldn’t reach. 

Continuing his relaxed swimming and humming of the sea-shanty, he didn’t notice the blood-red optics peering at him through the kelp blades.  

\---

The shark remained quiet and low to the ocean floor as he stalked the unsuspecting mech, dark plating allowing him to blend into the shadows. His red optics tracked Optimus’ movements, slowly following as the smaller mech reached another clearing, sunlight streaming through. 

The light reflected beautifully off of the mech’s red and blue chassis, causing him to shine with an ethereal glow. 

The interlocking tail plates moved as one, as Optimus took a moment to bask in the warm clearing of short-bladed grass. Turning to face upwards towards the warmth, the mech closed his optics, lightly moving his tail flukes to stay afloat. 

The hidden predator watched the soft tail mesh catch the sea water as it moved to and fro, mesmerized by its matching color to the small mech’s webbed servos. He lightly flicked his caudal fin to get closer to the unsuspecting beauty. He reached out with one large servo to grasp a stalk of kelp to tug himself even more slowly towards the clearing, only to misjudge the plants strength as he yanked the plant free of its rocky anchor.

Optimus shot straight up in surprise as he heard a ‘ _snap_ ’ and sensed a slight sudden change in pressure, webbed audial fins standing at attention to try and catch any noise. 

However, before he could pinpoint the source of the sound, he barely let out a gasp as his wide optics spotted a dark grey and red blur strike out from the surrounding forest.

The larger mech tackled the smaller, wrapping his arms around Optimus’ thin waist. 

Optimus let out an undignified yelp as the attacker pushed him down firmly into the grass bed and buried his faceplate into his throat. He thrashed in the much larger predator’s grip, trying to use his tail to dislodge the other before he could take a bite out of his neck. He was about to  _whap_  his captor over the helm with his fist, until he spotted the familiar black and red patterns adorning the mech’s back.

He smacked the mech upside the helm anyway.

“Megatron!” 

Said mech just gave a deep chuckle into Optimus’ neck cables as he nuzzled impossibly further into the smaller mech’s space. Optimus tried to stay mad and not squirm agains the ticklish vibrations. 

He grabbed onto Megatron’s shoulders and tried to detach the affectionate leech. “You fragger! You nearly gave me a spark-attack.”

Finally, the larger mech removed himself from Optimus to look into his bright blue optics. He smirked while caressing the smaller bot’s waist with his large servos. “My dear, you know I would never let anything bad happen to you.” He reached up to brush the backs of his digits against Optimus’ cheek before the other turned his helm sharply, scowling off towards a patch of innocent kelp. 

Megatron just chuckled, resuming his hold by wrapping his arms around the other’s waist once more. “Oh, come now, beloved. No need to pout. I’d finished hunting and thought I’d join you on your swim.” Optimus crossed his arms and twisted his entire frame away from Megatron while still caught in his embrace. “I am sorry,” he said while not sounding sincere at all. The shark held him tighter. “How about I make it up to you?”

After a moment, Optimus accidentally let his optics shift back towards Megatron for a nanokilk before looking away again. He tried to keep his interest from showing, but the grey mech wasn’t having it.

Megatron gently laid the blue and red mech onto the grassy bottom of the clearing once again, nuzzling his faceplate back into the other’s neck. The pout adorning Optimus’ faceplate melted away as Megatron began to lay gentle kissed against his neck. The other’s large servos caressed his hip struts, tracing along the yellow and black stripes he knew by spark. 

Optimus accidentally let out a soft hum at the soft touches, forgetting all about his stubbornness. He closed his optics and moved his chin upwards to allow his partner more access, tail moving idly with the movement of Megatron’s. 

Said mech felt every strut and cable in his mate relax. He enjoyed making this sweet mech feel loved. There was no one else in the entire universe that made his spark beat the way Optimus did.

He interspaced his kisses with small teasing nips, playfully growling into the smaller bot’s neck cables. Optimus responded to the growl with a chirr of his own, sparkbeat slowing down to a steady rhythm at the slow, thorough loving. 

Not about to allow his lover to fall asleep in the sand, the shark smirked as he thought of another plan. Moving at lightning speed, he surprised the mech underneath him by peppering light kisses all over his faceplate. The smaller mech let out a small gasp as Megatron began to drag his digits up and down his chassis lightly, tickling his plating.

Optimus tried to keep his laughter from escaping his vocalizer, sealing his derma tight as the pressure built.

He failed spectacularly. 

Optimus burst out a string of tenor giggles as Megatron continued his assault. He thrashed slightly against the ocean bottom, wrapping his arms snuggly around Megatron’s neck. 

Finally, the grey mech ceased his attack on his partner, chuckling along lowly with his other half. He wrapped his arms securely around the mech beneath him while moving his derma over a webbed audial fin. 

“There’s that lovely smile,” he said before placing a light kiss on the helm fin. He adored how they twitched at the slightest vent. “I love you, my beloved.” He spoke with a tenderness reserved only for Optimus to hear.

The other mech hummed, feeling the rumble of the shark’s baritone voice. “I love you too,” he replied with just as much softness. 

After placing another kiss on the fin, Megatron slowly pulled away and supported himself on his servos on each side of Optimus. The smaller mech was fully relaxed against the patch of soft sea grass, his arms having fallen away from around the shark, only to stretch them above his helm, resting them in the sand. With gentle red optics, Megatron gazed at the beautiful form of his love, who looked up at him with equal adoration. The sunlight filtering through the surface waves shown softly against the bright colors of his chassis, reflecting like small halos into the surrounding water. It took his breath away.

“Absolutely stunning,” he sighed, smiling softly at the blush that suddenly bloomed on Optimus’ cheeks. 

The smaller mech just huffed out an embarrassed vent. He raised a servo up to hold the side of Megatron’s faceplate, gently rubbing the side of his helm with his digit. “You’re one to talk, handsome.” He let out a small giggle as the shark above him captured the servo in his much larger one, holding it in place as he turned his helm to place a kiss on the mech’s palm. 

Gazing at the smaller mech tenderly, he interlaced their digits and moved the servo down back above his beloved’s helm, doing the same with the other. He pressed impossible closer, descending upon the other like a cool heavy current, letting out a low rumble as he lowered his helm and nuzzled the side of Optimus’. 

Returning the affection, Optimus arched up into the chassis of the other. He nuzzled back against the shark, letting loose a few low chirps in response. 

At the corner of his optic, Megatron spotted the soft beautiful lip plates that he loved so much. Drawn to them like a magnet, he couldn’t resist caressing them with his own.

Delicately, the smaller mech’s full derma were captured in a slow kiss. Megatron was gentle, pressing sweetly against his lip plates with his own, mindful of his sharp dentae. With a light lick of his glossa, he asked for entrance, which was easily and eagerly granted.

Optimus parted his derma with a soft moan, closing his optics as they continued to explore each other, equally as mindful of his two smaller sharp canines. He melted into the deep languid kisses, tightening his grip on the other’s clawed servos. If this were to continue, he would surely be a puddle in the sand. 

Unfortunately for him, things rarely seemed to go his way. 

“-with all due respect, sir, what are we doing all the way out here?”

Like the flick of a sailfish’s tail, the moment was gone. Megatron and Optimus parted and shot up, systems on high alert. Megatron squinted his dangerously glowing optics as he scanned the area, while his counterpart swiveled his audial fins to try and pinpoint the sound. After a moment of listening to muffled voices, they looked back at each other. No other sea-dwelling mech usually intruded on their territory. 

Every bot in the wide expanse of the outer dropoff knew to not disturb the Decepticon lord and his mate unannounced. 

After conveying their suspicions through locked optics, Megatron gave a slight nod to the other. He continued to grip one of smaller mech’s servos in order to help maneuver him off of the grass bed without disturbing their surroundings. They both crept towards the edge of the grass patch, towards the approximate direction of the intruders, floating just above the sea bottom. 

Megatron used his free servo to part the kelp as they slowly swam through, placing himself ahead of Optimus in case something went wrong.

He slowed even more when they reached the far edge of the cyberkelp forest. Beyond stretched a plain of white sand with few outcroppings of rocks and coral, a common habitat for plated rays and other camouflaged creatures.

Not for the two brightly colored, armed mechs swimming across it.

As soon as Megatron peeked through the foliage and laid optics on the large white and blue mech with his giant gaudy hammer, his derma pulled back in a snarl, exposing his pointed dentae.

Optimus swam up to his side, brow ridges furrowed. “Megatron?” He whispered. “What is it-“ He, too, peered our from behind the large green blades of kelp, only for his blue optics to widen shock. He gasped lightly, servo tightening in Megatron’s grip, trying to reverse back into the forest. He felt a heavy sense of dread in his spark at seeing the streaks of blue and orange and the unfortunate chin on the smaller intruder. 

“Ultra Magnus,” Megatron growled lowly. He got a look of determination in his optics before he tried to emerge from the kelp line, only to be yanked back by his servo. He had almost forgotten about the firm grip he and his mate had on each other. He looked back over his shoulder, brow ridges furrowing as soon as he looked at his beloved.

Optimus looked terrified and extremely upset. The smaller bot just shook his head in negation, trying to pull the other back out of potential sight. 

Needless to say, Megatron had never seen his beloved so terrified since they met stellar cycles ago. He retreated back to the smaller mech and pulled him close to offer comfort.

“What is wrong, beloved?” he asked tenderly and quietly, hating to see his mate distressed. He caresses the other’s cheek with his free servo, waiting for a response.

Optimus shuttered out a vent while glancing away, before locking optics with Megatron. “You know I was exiled because of that accident in the Academy,” he whispered. 

Megatron nodded, recalling, early in their courting, the horrid nightmares that plagued the smaller mech. One night, Optimus was so upset that he spilled his internals out to Megatron, desperate to have someone to listen to his guilt. In the shark’s opinion, none of that accident was his mate’s fault, and yet the Elite Guard punished the outsider instead of the pompous aft that Optimus had once called a friend, the one who betrayed him and said horrible things to his beloved. He remembered the lost look in Optimus’ optics when he told of the time he lost not one, but two of his closest friends.

‘ _He told me that if he ever saw me again, he wouldn’t hesitate to use his lance to skewer me through my ‘manipulating voice box’_ ’

Wait.

Just as he was about to make the connection, Optimus looked at him and said, “ _That_... is Sentinel Prime,” voice cracking slightly in distress.

The shark lord had never seen red so quickly in his entire functioning. He turned his helm back to watch the two intruders swim across the plain with caution, not very far from their hiding spot. From the looks of it, they were headed in the direction of the continental dropoff, whose caves housed many of his Decepticons and other city-less mechs. 

He looked back at his mate, who watched the two swim closer, with growing anxiety. 

“I must stop them from approaching the banks,” he said quietly, an apologetic look in his optics. 

“You mustn’t!” Optimus nearly yelled but had the sense of mind to stay hushed. “You may have faced the Magnus before, but not with the hammer  _and_  his second-in-command. Sentinel...he’s  _ruthless_.” The pleading look in his optics made Megatron eager to get his claws on the bots who had literally throw his mate to the sharks, according to the Iaconians’ perspective of Decepticons and outsiders in general.

However, he vented to calm himself, for both of their sakes, and continued to caress the other’s cheek. “Know that I will not engage in battle with them unless driven to that point. But I cannot have them approach the sanctuary with their weapons drawn, or else something bad  _will_  happen.” 

The idea of any harm coming to the mechs that called the overall territory home, his newfound friends and family, sobered the smaller mech up. Despite the worries still present in his optics, Optimus nodded at his mate. 

Megatron gave him a smile in return. “Good. Now stay hidden for me. And remember that no bot has gotten the best of me before. Not even the Magnus.” After Optimus agreed to stay put, he placed a quick peck on his mate’s forehelm and the turned around and moved deadly silent through the kelp to obtain a different vantage point on the intruders. 

The shark was able to maneuver himself behind the pair, allowing him to get close, but not within striking distance. He prepared himself for confrontation, readying his most commanding voice.

“You are trespassing on my territory.” His skills as a predator were as sharp as ever, considering that he caught even the Magnus off-guard. The two Iaconian mechs swiveled around in surprise, the smaller of the two holding up his lance and shield. To give credit to the Magnus, he was quick to wipe away any indication that he was caught unawares. 

“Back off, Decepticon!” Sentinel shouted before the leader of Iacon extended his arm out in front of his second-in-command, cutting him off.

The two larger bots stared silently at each other for a click before Ultra broke the silence. 

“Megatron.” The blue and white mech nodded his helm, ignoring Sentinel’s scared sputtering at the legendary name of the Decepticon leader. 

“Magnus,” the lord replied curtly. He figured he would do away with the formalities and cut to the chase considering their history. “I do not care if you were unaware of your current path, but it is not a request when I say that you need to leave.” The shark masterfully kept the snarl off of his faceplate. However, the dangerous glow of his optics did not go unnoticed by the two city mech.

“On the contrary, Lord Megatron.” Ultra Magnus had a sense of regal-ness about him as he retained his tall posture, despite being a helm shorter than the lord. The slight haughtiness in his old gravely tone made Megatron want to grind his dentae together. “We were definitely aware of our surroundings considering that we were looking for you.” 

“Wait, we were-?!” 

“There has been an incident,” he said, cutting of the outraged voice of Sentinel. He let out a large vent, exposing his true age and stress that the title of Magnus has given him. Megatron would have felt sympathy had he cared even the slightest. “I know we’ve have our differences, but I’ve put it upon myself to...make amends, if you will. The city of Iacon needs your help.”

Too bad he didn’t have any sympathy at all. 

Like the snap of a frayed rope, Megatron’s patience dwindled to nonexistent. His derma pulled back to expose a menacing snarl. He postured to his full height, stalking forward as his plating flared and optics narrowed into deep red cuts. “ _My_  help? You need  _my peoples’_ help?” His clawed servos clenched into fists. “So what? So we can bail you out of your messes like we did before we questioned your authority?” Realizing that this is not the response he wanted the, Magnus tried to interrupt, but the shark lord wouldn’t allow him. “You come here, intruding on  _my_  territory, about to waltz into my peoples’ sanctuary with  _weapons drawn_  because you are too  _weak_  to take care of your own!?” He was about to continue on his list of reasons why he should be allowed to tear the Magnus to shreds until that slimy excuse for a Second decided to interrupt. 

“The last time I checked, you and your ‘cons turned tail and fled Iacon because you  _lost,_ ” he sneered. However, he instantly regretted the statement when Megatron struck, faster than any bot could blink, and seized his lance with one servo. He stole the weapon out of Sentinel’s grip while using his other servo to dig into the bots forearm. The shark yanked the smaller bot forward until Sentinel’s terrified faceplate was almost a blades-width away from bared fangs. He ignored the Magnus as he inched forward slightly, servo tightening on his hammer.

“We did did not  _flee_. I did what was necessary to ensure the safety of my  _people_!” Oh, how desperately he wanted to tear this bot limb from limb. “After all, why would we stay in a city that thought of us lower than mere detritus? So,” He straightened to he full height, teeth close enough to bite and he loomed darkly over the Second. “I suggest you educate yourself, lest you make the wrong mech angry,  _youngling_ -“

“Quintessons,” Ultra Magnus so kindly interrupted before Megatron could continue to scare the plating off of the smaller bot.

The shark lord didn’t move away, merely turning his helm and raising an unimpressed brow ridge in question. “Pardon?” 

“Quintessons have been coming up from the depths and attacking my guard repeatedly, leaving the people in the city extremely vulnerable.”

Megatron just stared at the Magnus for a moment, trying to read his stoic faceplate to gauge his truthfulness. 

Only to burst out laughing at his seriousness.

“Quintessons? Is that all?” He continued his mocking laughter as he backed away from Sentinel, ignoring his wining protest as he took the lance with him. 

The Magnus finally grew frustrated at the lack of seriousness from the Decepticon lord and decided to interrupt. “They are going after energon stores and supply warehouses-“

“Well, of course they are!” He relaxed his posture even more, just to see if he could make a fuse blow in the Iaconian leader’s processor. He dug the tip of the lance in the sand while resting his servo on top of the handle. “They’re scavengers for Pit’s sake! My Decepticons have handled much worse before  _and_  after the Great War. If you don’t want to fight them, then just find whatever hole they are crawling out of and blow it up!” He couldn’t believe he and his mate’s  _alone time_  was disturbed because of a few dastardly techno-organics and by bots who thought they had the right to ask for his help. Pff.  _Quintessons_. It made him want to laugh.

He was about to cut the conversation short and turn around to head back to where he left Optimus but was stopped by the slightly pleading voice of Ultra Magnus. 

“But there are hundreds emerging at once! We do not have the supplies or mech power to deal with it alone. I’m asking that we set aside our differences and history for the good of the innocent mecha-!”

“Set aside our differences? As if either of you would be able to do that.”

Even Megatron was surprised as he whirled to the side to see that his mate had approached the three of them silently. The deadly calm of his tone caused the lord’s plating to prickle with worry.

Optimus had been watching from the kelp forest with growing anxiety. He felt the slightest hint of satisfaction when his mate effortlessly disarmed and chastised Sentinel, but tensed up even more when he saw the Magnus tighten his grip on his war hammer. 

Once he heard the talk of Quintessons, he listened attentively. Even as a young bot, his fascination with history allowed him to recognize the implications, especially as they pertained to Megatron and his Decepticons when they were still a part of the Iaconian guard.

As the old datapads recorded, the sharks and other predators of the giant underwater Cybertronian city had no problem dealing with the ravenous Quintessons as they emerged from the depths. However, Optimus had no doubt that the Elite Guard and Iacon’s current council were extremely out of touch on the methods of squashing such hoards. 

But to hear the Ultra Magnus beg for their help as if he deserved it made his energon lines spark with fury.

“Siren!” The growled exclamation caused his fear to spike again, but he didn’t let it show on his faceplate. Optimus just calmly looked towards Sentinel as he continued his ranting. 

“Of course we’d find you out here in Decepticon territory. I told you I would-!” The Iaconian let out a surprised ‘ _grrk_ ’ as he tried to advance towards Optimus. Before the guardsmech could even think about getting his servos on his mate, Megatron seized Sentinel’s throat with a lightning fast servo. His growl was a deep as an earthquake as he brought the insufferable Second up to his faceplate. Loosing all of his bravado, Sentinel’s plating rattled as he was forced to stare into angry bloods red optics, dropping his shield to use his servos to try and pry the other off of him.

“I suggest you choose your next words wisely when referring to my mate, youngling.” He lifted the servo that still held the Prime’s lance. “Or else I’ll have to- what was it, again? ‘ _Skewer you through your manipulating voice box_.’” The Decepticon spat through gritted denta, bringing the lance up between them to tap the sharp point at the spot just below his grip. His servo wasn’t tight enough to cause damage, but just enough to help Sentinel learn his place.

Unfortunately for him, his pride and anger had a habit of overriding his sense. 

As soon as he heard the word ‘mate,’ he tried his best to turn his helm towards his once friend, scowl on his derma. “Of course you would go running to the ‘cons and seduce their leader, Optimus.” His voice was strained as he struggled against the shark lord. “How long have you had his sucker under your spell- _hrrk!_ ”

Megatron’s servo tightened as Optimus raised an unimpressed brow ridge. Without his weapons, without the guard backing him up, he didn’t fear the mech. He wondered how he ever became friends with the pompous aft at all. He ignored the floundering mech and turned to address the other Iaconian.

“If this is the kind of reaction a high ranking member of the guard has, why should we help you protect mecha that have been listening to your propaganda for all these stellar cycles?”

The Magnus furrowed his brow ridges at the accusation of the mech he thought had great potential. “I’ve never condoned the spread of false ideology-“

“But you never stopped the council, did you?” Optimus’ calm was slowly replaced by fury; fury at his past situation, fury that the Magnus and Sentinel thought it would be a good idea to travel to his home in the first place. “Never stopped them from spreading lies.” He turned to look at Sentinel with servos clenched, baring his small fangs and giving him a snarl that rivaled Megatron’s. “From letting me take the fall for that accident because of abilities that I don’t even have.”

Ultra Magnus apparently had it in him to look surprised at the accusation while Sentinel tried to protest. Optimus easily cut him off, addressing the Magnus again. 

“All you and your council and your guardsman do is take one look at our heritage and condemn us for how we were sparked, when oftentimes the most guilty mecha are those under your command.” He sent a glare boiling with hatred towards the mech still caught in Megatron’s grip, taking slight satisfaction in seeing him flinch. “We have no reason to help you, to put our people on the line. We don’t need your credits or power or to be let back into your shining city, so you’ll be lucky if we even  _consider_  offering you assistance from the kindness of our sparks.” Optimus pulled himself to full height, his tone striking enough guilt into the two mech to actually make them listen to the small Iaconian-sparked siren who had once been extremely down on his luck.

Megatron watched his mate intimidate two of the few important mecha of Iacon with his eloquence and determination alone. He could still see the deep-seeded anxieties and fear hidden behind the steeliness of his optics, but his mate pushed through, none the less. A small smile grew on the lord’s derma. His mate made a great Decepticon.

“If we do agree to help, you will hear from  _us_. So leave this place and wait in your high-walled city, and maybe learn to protect your own citizens while you’re at it. And if we catch you anywhere near Kaon uninvited again,” His optics narrowed into cold blue slits. “You  _will_  regret it.” 

Instead of waiting for a response from the Magnus, Optimus turned his optics towards Megatron and gave him a sharp nod. Immediately, the Decepticon released his grip on his captive, who floundered away, coughing and rubbing his throat. He fumbled while trying to snatch his shield from the sand, only to try and hide behind the small disk. 

Optimus sent one last warning look to the two mechs, then turned away without offering a farewell, swimming towards the kelp forest with more regality that the Magnus himself. The discussion was over.

Megatron, still holding the Prime’s lance, studied it while tossing it from servo to servo before flipping it to grip the sharpened end. He offered the handle to Sentinel, who once again flinched at the attention, servo trembling as he reached out to grab it. The lord smirked mockingly.

“Careful, youngling. This is awfully sharp. Someone might get hurt.” With that last taunt, he made to follow his mate, staring down Ultra Magnus as he swam by.

As soon as the siren and his mate were out of sight, the Magnus turned towards Sentinel with a disapproving stare. “You have a lot to explain for, Sentinel Prime.” He started to swim in the opposite direction from where they were headed, still griping the Magnus Hammer in his servo, very much peeved that his plead was ignored. But the two mechs had a point, though it probably would have went better if it weren’t for his overzealous guardsman. “And as my second-in-command, when we are conducting business, I expect you to act  _professionally_.” 

Sentinel shied away from the sideways glare.

\---

Once back in the safety of the dense kelp, Optimus let out a large stressed vent. Now that he didn’t have to keep up the authoritative front, his fears and dread came crawling back to the front of his processor. He startled when he felt warm servos wrap about his waist from behind him.

“You did so very well, my dear.” Megatron placed a chaste kiss against his twitching audial fin. He massaged his mate’s hip struts in an effort to calm the spark he could feel thrumming against chassis. 

Optimus turned around in his embrace, shifting to place his helm on Megatron’s chest plate. He sighed once more. “I feel like I just started a war.” 

“You did no such thing,” Megatron lightly chuckled. “I believe you managed to get through their thick helms, and now they will actually contemplate the repercussions of their actions.” He brought one servo up to rub the back of Optimus’ helm, resting his cheek plate on top of it. “It is very difficult to confront those who have wronged you, and for that, you should be extremely proud.” 

Optimus just hummed in thought before lifting his helm to look into Megatron's optics. "I should have thanked them, thought." The shark looked terribly confused for a moment, a questioning look on his faceplate before the siren continued. "I never really had a place there, in Iacon." He brought both of his servos between them to rest gently on his mate's chest plate. "Without them, I never would have met you." He poured as much love into his gaze as he could as he stared up at the Decepticon.

Megatron's confused expression immediately softened at the declaration. He leaned his helm down and nuzzled the side of his mate's faceplate. "I don't know what I would do without you, my love."

"Me neither," Optimus replied simply before reciprocating the touch.  

After a moment of silence, of just holding and caressing, Megatron spoke once more. “Come now, let us return home. I would like to send out a report to Soundwave so he can start making defense preparations for the rest of the Decepticons.” He sifted away from Optimus, grasping one of his servos to lead him back to their nearby cliffside cave, slightly further away from the rest of the community. 

The smaller mech returned the squeeze of the servo while furrowing his brow ridge. “You think the Quints will be that much of a problem?”

The shark lord hummed for a moment before responding. “No,” he said. “But it would be better to prepare for the worst than to be caught off guard.”

Optimus made a noise of agreement before going silent. He looked at Megatron’s forward-facing faceplate before glancing down at their linked servos. After a moment, he smirked, thinking up the perfect plan to bring back the moment they shared mere kliks ago. Waiting for the perfect opportunity, he struck.

“Hey, Megatron?” The ‘con hummed and looked back at his mate before Optimus tore his servo out of the sharks grip. He seized forward, grabbing Megatron’s helm and dragging him into a deep kiss. 

He managed to surprise the lord, sliding their derma together sweetly, then darting away before his mate could reciprocate.

“Race you back home!” He yelled, laughing at the stalled look on Megatron’s faceplate.

The shark shook off the surprise before smirking mischievously, optics narrowed with something other than anger. With a snap of his fin, he was off in the direction of his fleeing lover, slowly gaining on the smaller mech like the predator he was. He growled playfully, calling out to his beloved, “Oh, you’re going to love when I get my servos on you, my little siren!”

**Author's Note:**

> megatron @ sentinel: might fuck around. might go feral


End file.
